Shoe-stretching device.



No. 824,760. PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

M. TONKO. SHOE STRETGHING DEVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED APR 27, 1904.

11x14 Zia/My UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAX TONKO, OF LANGENZERSDORF, NEAR VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUN GARY,

ASSIGNOR TO EMIL LEDERER, OF KORNEUBURG, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

SHOE-STRETCHING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed April 2'7, 1904:. Serial No. 205,139.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX TONKO, a citizen of Austria, residing at Langenzersdorf, near Vienna, in the Province of Lower Austria and Empire of Austria-Hungary, have in vented a certain new and useful Improvement in Shoe-Stretching Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawlngs.

This invention relates to improvements in boot and the like stretching devices, and has for its object to provide a device of that description which in addition to having the usual and well-known toe and heel part consists of a peculiar mechanism connecting said two parts and being of such construction that on introducing or withdrawing the device into or from the boot or shoe it is only necessary to turn the heel part, at the same time operating a lever, said lever being provided with ratchet-teeth or similar means, whereby the device is held in its operative condition after it has been inserted into the shoe. The

device can be readily withdrawn from the shoe by a pressure on said lever, and the-parts then can be folded together, so as to occupy a small space only.

The new shoe-stretching device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section, part being broken away; Fig. 2, a plan view, part being broken awa and the heel portion being a section on the ine E E of Fig. 1, the link and pivot being shown in plan; Fig. 3, a vertical cross-section on the line F F of Fig. 1 Fig. 4, in longitudinal section, the device folded together.

As seen from the drawings, in which similar parts are designated by similar referencenumerals, the shoe-stretching device consists of the toe part 1, the heel art 2, and a connecting-link 3, consisting o a rail or bar. In a recess of the heel part 2 there is arranged a bow-shaped or curved lever 15, adapted to be swung around a pivot 14, extending through the lower end of the heel part. The lever 15 is provided with ratchet-teeth 4 and is acted upon by a spring 17, secured with one end to the heel part and bearing against the curved portion of the lever 15 in order to hold the ratchet-teeth 14 thereof in engagement with a wedge 16, formed at the end of the connecting-link 3 when the device is in use.

As seen from the drawings, the bar 3 is pivoted at 21 to the toe part. At this end the bar 3 has an enlargement 19 bearing against a spring 20 on the toe part when the device is in use, Fig. 1, whereby the toe part is prevented from turning around the pivot 21 with respect to the link 3. Near its other end, at 5, the said link is pivoted to the heel part 2, so that the latter may be swung around the said pivot 5 with respect to the link 3. By thus swinging the heel part 2 around the pivot 5 in pushing that portion of the heel part projecting from the shoe forward in the direction of the arrow I of Fig. 1 the length of the device may be increased and the device is held in the stretched position by the wedge 16 at the end of the bar 3 engaging one of the teeth 4 on the lever 15, as shown in Fig. 1.

In order to withdraw the stretching device from the shoe, the lever 15 by a pressure upon the knob 18, secured to the end of the lever, is forced against the spring 17 out of engagement with the bar 3, the ratchet-teeth 4 being moved away from the wedged end 16 of the bar, and by swinging the latter around the pivot 21 against the toe part and the heel part 2 around the pivot 5 against the bar 3 the parts can be folded together to assume the osition shown in Fig. 4.

hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a shoe and boot stretching device, the combination with a toe and a heel part, of a link pivotally connected with said toe and heel parts, a lever pivoted to the heel part and adapted to engage with said link to hold the toe and heel parts in position, and means for holding the said lever in engagement with the said link.

2. In a shoe and boot stretching device the combination with a toe and a heel section, of a link movably connecting both said sections, a lever pivoted to one of said parts, means for holding the said link and the said lever in engagement with each other and a spring secured to the toe-section, adapted to bear on an enlargement of said link, thereby preventing the toe-section from turning around said link.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MAX TONKO.

Witnesses:

ALvEsro S. Hocun, WILHELM BERGER. 

